Cicero's On divination

Author(s)

Beatris Ribeiro Gratti

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem
• Defense date: 2009-05-06

Examining board members

Paulo Sérgio de Vasconcellos; Isabella Tardin Cardoso; Matheus Trevizan

• Advisor: Paulo Sérgio de Vasconcellos

Abstract

Cicero's On Divination is the main work from antiquity on the subject of divination. The practice aimed at the contact between men and gods to know the divine will and it was so important that it was considered part of the official religion of Rome. Cicero composed the work over a period of crisis and change in Roman religion, caused by the influence of Hellenistic philosophy and skeptical ideas and the growing superstition in the midst of his people. The work is formulated in the form of a dialogue, divided in two books: the first book is presented to the defense of divination and the second book, a speech against divination. The research was divided in four phases: review of the translation of the first book of the work, done in the Scientific Initiation; translation of the second book; compilation of notes; introductory study about the ancient practice of divination and Cicero's position on the subject (AU)